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Just as government and businesses require sound governance to do their work well, so too do families—and their philanthropy. The Family Governance Pyramid provides a model and framework for philanthropic families that is even more relevant and necessary today than when it was first introduced nearly two decades ago. This article by the National Cen...

More family offices are embracing emerging technologies to optimize their operations and prepare for future opportunities; however, success hinges on establishing a clear future-state vision, documenting business requirements, assembling the right team of people, and implementing the right technology solutions at the right time. It’s a digital tran...

As family offices turn their attention toward achieving operational excellence, they are facing tremendous challenges and opportunities to maximize efficiency and productivity across the enterprise amid constant change and uncertainty. As shown in this report by RSM, it’s the technology and talent considerations that rank as a top concern for many ...

While every philanthropic journey is unique, there are points at which all families must make decisions. This series of seven short videos offers a comprehensive introduction and refresher to critical concepts to consider at each stage of your family philanthropy—from philanthropic purpose and selecting giving vehicles, to operations, successi...

In philanthropy, meaningful change is the aim—it’s the purpose and the promise. But in striving for and achieving impact, effectiveness must go beyond healthy funding practices with grantees and the greater communities we serve. It must touch on intra-family dynamics, family philanthropy staff, and speak to the varied stages within the family fivin...

Governance, a system for who will make decisions and how, is the guiding framework for your family philanthropy’s long-term success. There are many governance constructs that support an effective board, and different methods to engage family within each construct. But what are the common elements that contribute to an effective board across all gov...

This issue brief examines the kinds of decisions that family foundations often face and sets out practical, easy-to-apply guidelines for ensuring that the foundation’s decision-making methods vary appropriately, as conditions and circumstances change. It includes factors to consider when selecting a decision-making method, guidance on how to commun...

Growth is at the top of the menu for finance leaders as Grant Thornton’s CFO survey shows that the uncertainty associated with the U.S. election in 2024 has given way to unrestrained optimism about the U.S. economy and meeting business goals. Other results from the survey were broadly aligned with high growth expectations—and with the transformatio...

Across the world, philanthropy is undergoing a transformation that offers both exciting opportunities and complex challenges. With so much in flux, emerging donors and established funders are seeking new models not only for funding strategies and impact measures, but also for organizational design and management systems that will serve them well in...

As high-net-worth investors discuss plans for charitable giving and investing with their financial advisors, it is absolutely crucial for them to be on the same page in terms of the outcomes desired, both financially and philanthropically. For this reason, advisors and their clients need a set vocabulary of terms going into the first meeting. Only ...

Deb Hoover served as President and CEO of Burton D. Morgan Foundation for 15 years, and during that time she played an integral role in fulfilling the donor’s vision of advancing entrepreneurship in northeast Ohio. She has also served in leadership roles for two other private foundations. Deb will share a number of practical tips for families with ...

Potential drains on business efficiency include groups of remote workers unable to communicate well with one another, tools that make it hard to adapt to changes or new needs, and the high cost of equipment and IT personnel. Integrating cloud-based solutions address these areas, including better workflow and collaboration and document management. I...

While there are good resources to help family foundation boards identify common and effective practices in each area of governance-related questions, this guide by the National Center for Family Philanthropy focuses less on the outcomes and more on ensuring that all of the issues are considered for building the board your foundation deserves. Used ...

The future of IT is changing and adapting to a cloud and artificial intelligence-enabled world that includes the exponential shift from on-premises to IT consumed as a service (XaaS) and accelerating data centricity. To face these challenges and drive successful digital competitive advantages, IT leaders and teams will need to master the six key pr...

Technology within the family office and wealth management industry is changing rapidly. Software applications are changing how we will work and are delivering new ways to implement and integrate reporting, communication, and aggregation. Suppliers are learning from each other and teaching us how to approach and apply newer technologies. Take a glim...